Cybercriminals target airline passengers via social media complaints

Cybercriminals are conducting coordinated social engineering campaigns by monitoring public airline complaints on social media platforms such as X, Facebook, and Instagram. According to an investigation by cybersecurity firm Check Point, threat actors identify frustrated passengers posting about delayed flights, missing luggage, or failed refunds and respond to them by impersonating legitimate customer service representatives.

These fraudulent accounts often use airline logos and variations of terms like ‘Customer Support’ or ‘Claims Department’ to appear authentic. The scammers typically attempt to move the conversation from public threads to private direct messages or encrypted apps like WhatsApp. Once in a private channel, they solicit sensitive information, including phone numbers, email addresses, booking details, and financial data, often under the guise of processing a refund or compensation.

Check Point identified thousands of impersonation accounts, noting that while some existed prior to 2024, many new accounts are being created daily. The campaign is described as active and evolving, utilizing sophisticated tactics to exploit the public nature of brand-customer interactions.